The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-15
PASTEUR's PATIENTS.
Many Americans Secretly Visit tia
Institute for Treatment.

Many Americans Secretly visit tia
Institute for Treatment.
Surgeon Charles +. Siegfried. of tn,
United States navy, has returned from
Paris, where he looked in on the Pas.
teur system of fighting hydrophobid
with view to its introduction into 6
government hospital in this country,
writes n New York correspondent OF
the cincinnati Enquirer. He says that
medical opinions in France differ as to
the efficacy of its inoculations, but
that the records of cases seem to estab
lish the value of Pasteur's work. 1.-THE
number of Americans who resort tc
Prof. Pasteur' institute" he adds, ''is
not suspected by their countrymen,
Many make the trip privately, especial.
ly if they belong to well-to-do families
able to pay the expense without public.
ty. Besides bitten persons are ioath
to admit their nervousness, and there.
fore 90 to Paris ostensibly for pleasure,
while their real errand is to get inocu.
lated Pasteur humors their desire for
secrecy, and permits them to register
under assumed names even when he
knows who they really are, which is
by no means always. A note of intro
duction from the American minister is
required, rs n matter of form, No fee
is charged, but voluntary contributions
are accepted, and those go into gen.
eral fund for the maintenance of the
hospital. Pasteur personally takes no
pay.
II saw q New York lady go through
the process. Her case had not been
mentioned in print. Her name as
sumed for the occasion was Marietta
Byrne, and she actually belongs to 9
rather rich and fashionable family. Hell
pet dog had bitten her, and then dice
in commissions, so that she did not know
for certainty whether or not she was
in danger of the dreaded rabies She
rode to Pasteur's house, at No. "A Rue
Vaquein, which is an insignificant
building in the midst of the variout
schools Of the Latin quarter. She was
accompanied by her father, who pre-
scented her credentials, and gave all the
particulars of her case to II clerk, who
recorded them in big book Then
she was shown into an ante-room, and
directed how to prepare herself for the
operation. This consisted simply in
arranging her attire so that, without
delay, the surgeon could inject the virus
under the skin. Then she was placed
in line with seventeen other bit
ten persons. all women or children,
for this day was set apart for them =
men having had the previous day.
"All marched into the room where
Pasteur and his assistants were in read
mess. One surgeon stood beside a ia
BILE, on which was glass jar contain
ing the protective fluid. Over the top
of this vessel was Stretched u iiltering
paper. Beside it lay ahypodermic syr-
inge. The man thrust the sharp, deli.
cate nozzle of this instrument through
the paper into the liquid, and filled it in
that way, in order that by no possible
ty could it be vitiated BY contact with
the air. Having thus charged the syr-
inge, he handed it to the principal OPP
orator, who deity inserted it obliquely
through the skin of the patent, in the
reg on of the loins. and quickly inject
ed the contents. 1t was like the pune
ture of needle and not very painful.
The girl bore il without tlinching, but
some of the children, rs well as the
more ignorant adults, cried and strug-
gled. She had to return for additional
injections during several weeks.
1t is thought congress will be asked
to appropriate money for the opening
of a Pasteur hospital, either in this city
or Washington-probably the latter.